'Memorize' these 6 principles to drive safely in stormy weather
Heavy rain, strong winds, flooded roads, and limited visibility are always challenges for many drivers, especially new drivers. The following "bloody" experiences will help drivers be more proactive when unfortunately encountering storms.
Rain and storms are common weather conditions in the summer that drivers will encounter more or less while driving on the road.
Heavy rain and strong winds make the roads slippery, limited visibility makes it difficult to observe and handle situations. Flooded roads can even damage our cars, costing a lot of time and money.
Below are some principles for driving in stormy weather as summarized by "veterans":
1. You should turn on the lights when it rains.
When it rains heavily, drivers' light and visibility are limited. To ensure your safety and the safety of other vehicles, turn on your low beam headlights and fog lights when driving in the rain.
Many people recommend turning on the hazard lights when it is raining heavily so that other vehicles can easily see and maintain a safe distance. However, this type of light can cause the vehicle behind to be dazzled and make it difficult to judge the direction of travel. Therefore, you should consider turning on the hazard lights when it is raining or stormy.
2. Maintain a slower than normal speed
When it rains and the road is slippery, the car's braking system will work less effectively, so drivers need to drive slower than usual to ensure safety. Driving slowly and keeping a safe distance also helps us detect and handle when the car in front suddenly slows down or suddenly encounters obstacles on the road.
Experts advise that, in the rain, you should drive at least 10-20k km/h slower than normal.
3. Adjust the temperature and air-conditioning direction appropriately
Rainy weather causes high humidity, the temperature difference between inside and outside the car causes the windshield to fog up, which is quite uncomfortable and unsafe. To fix this, you need to adjust the car's air conditioner temperature to be equal to or lower than outside to avoid condensation on the windshield.
In addition, you should combine adjusting the wind direction to the glass and turn on the outside air intake mode for best results. If your car has a heated glass or heated rearview mirror mode, use these useful features.
4. Do not drive parallel to other vehicles
When it rains heavily, large puddles appear on the road surface. In fact, there are many cases where another car splashes water on the windshield, causing the driver to be "temporarily blinded". This is an extremely dangerous situation that drivers need to be aware of when driving in the rain.
To avoid this, when driving on the roads, especially the highway, you should minimize driving parallel to another vehicle. Another thing to note is to only overtake and allow overtaking in open areas with few puddles to avoid being splashed or splashing water on other vehicles.
5. "Measure your strength" when going through flooded areas
If you are faced with a flooded area, the first thing to do is to determine the water level and calculate your car's ability to wade through it. Normally, with a sedan with a low ground clearance, you should not go through areas flooded more than 25cm or water level up to the car door.
Drivers can observe cars of similar size that have passed through the flood safely to estimate, judge and enter the positions that the previous car has just passed. When passing through a flooded road, it is necessary to use low gear and turn off unnecessary loads such as air conditioning, sound system in the car.
In addition, you should also pay attention when there are vehicles traveling in the same direction and in the opposite direction because waves can occur, causing the water to rise higher and increasing the risk of water entering the air intake and engine air filter.
6. Don't "try to force it" when encountering heavy storms
Driving in heavy rain and strong winds is very dangerous, not only because of limited visibility but also because it can cause the car to be blown away by the wind, leading to loss of control. Heavy rain combined with strong winds can easily cause trees on the side of the road to break and fall, which is very dangerous. Therefore, if you encounter a very heavy rainstorm, you should consider stopping to take shelter, to prevent unforeseen events.
Ideally, stop at a safe, sturdy rest stop along the road. If you cannot find a rest stop, choose a high, open space to park. When parking on the road, ensure safety and do not affect other vehicles.
Experienced drivers say that you should not stop under a large tree during a storm because the branches can easily break and fall on your car, which is very dangerous. You should also not park too close to a cliff, as there may be a landslide when it rains heavily.
